What should you look for while on corticosteroids therapy?

Possible side effects of taking these steroid medications are:
Changes in appearance

  • Acne
  • Development of round/moon-shaped face (sometimes called “Cushing’s syndrome” after the physician who first described it)
  • Weight gain due to increased appetite
  • Redistribution of fat, leading to swollen face and abdomen, but thin arms and legs
  • Increased skin fragility, leading to easy bruising
  • Hair growth on the face


Psychological problems
  • Irritability
  • Agitation, psychosis
  • Euphoria/depression (mood swings)
  • Insomnia


Increased susceptibility to infections

Stomach irritation, peptic ulceration

Irregular menses (periods)

Aggravation of the following preexisting conditions:
  • Diabetes
  • Glaucoma
  • High blood pressure


Increase in:
  • Cholesterol
  • Triglycerides
  • May suppress growth in children


Long term side effects:

    • Avascular necrosis of bone (death of bone tissue due to lack of blood supply):
      • Usually associated with high doses of prednisone taken over long periods of time.
      • Produces pain, including night pain. 
      • Occurs most often in hip, but can also affect shoulders, knees, and other joints.
    • Osteoporosis
      • Thinning of the bones.
      • Can lead to bone fractures, especially compression fractures of vertebrae with severe back pain.
    • Cataracts
    • Glaucoma
    • Muscle weakness
    • Premature atherosclerosis – narrowing of the blood vessels by cholesterol (fat) deposits.
    • Pregnancy complications –Doses of 20mg or more have shown to increase pregnancy and birth complications, such as preeclampsia.

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